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Chrysalis
Winner of the Canadian Governor General's Literary for Fiction
Genre-blending stories of transformation and belonging that centre women of colour and explore queerness, family, and community.
A couple in a crumbling marriage faces divine intervention. A woman dies in her dreams again and again until she finds salvation in an unexpected source. A teenage misfit discovers a darkness lurking just beyond the borders of her suburban home. The stories in Chrysalis, Anuja Varghese’s debut collection, are by turns poignant and chilling, blurring the lines between the monstrous and the mundane.
Poetic, sensual, and surreal, Varghese’s stories delve into complex intersections of family, community, sexuality, and cultural expectation through an unapologetically feminist lens. Drawing on folklore, fairy tale, and magical realism, they take aim at the ways in which racialized women are robbed of power and revel in the strange and dangerous journeys they undertake to reclaim it.
Genre-blending stories of transformation and belonging that centre women of colour and explore queerness, family, and community.
A couple in a crumbling marriage faces divine intervention. A woman dies in her dreams again and again until she finds salvation in an unexpected source. A teenage misfit discovers a darkness lurking just beyond the borders of her suburban home. The stories in Chrysalis, Anuja Varghese’s debut collection, are by turns poignant and chilling, blurring the lines between the monstrous and the mundane.
Poetic, sensual, and surreal, Varghese’s stories delve into complex intersections of family, community, sexuality, and cultural expectation through an unapologetically feminist lens. Drawing on folklore, fairy tale, and magical realism, they take aim at the ways in which racialized women are robbed of power and revel in the strange and dangerous journeys they undertake to reclaim it.
192 pages, Paperback
First published March 14, 2023
30 people are currently reading
1271 people want to read
About the author
Anuja Varghese
6 books62 followersAnuja Varghese (she/her) is an award-winning writer of literary fiction, fantasy, and erotica/romance – and combinations of all three – where women of color get leading roles!
Her debut novel A KISS OF CRIMSON ASH is the first book in a lush new romantasy trilogy inspired by medieval India, following a naïve young queen, a heartsick prince, a streetwise thief, and a courtesan with magic in her blood who join forces with an ancient goddess to challenge the empire’s most powerful men. Pitched as Dungeons & Dragons x Bollywood’s most epic love stories, AKOCA is forthcoming in early 2026 with Penguin Random House Canada, Orbit US, and Orbit UK.
Anuja’s short story collection titled CHRYSALIS (House of Anansi, 2023), explores South Asian diaspora experience through a feminist, queer, speculative lens. In 2023, Chrysalis won the Writer’s Trust of Canada Dayne Ogilvie Prize for LGBTQ2S+ Emerging Writers and the Governor General’s Literary Award for Fiction. In 2024, it was longlisted for the Carol Shields Prize for Fiction and shortlisted for the Rakuten Kobo Emerging Writer Prize for Fiction.
Anuja’s work has also been featured in many literary magazines and anthologies, including Best Women’s Erotica Volume 6 (Cleis Press, 2020), When Other People Saw Us, They Saw the Dead, (Haunt Press, 2022), Queer Little Nightmares (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2022), and Devouring Tomorrow: Fiction from the Future of Food (Dundurn Press, 2025).
Anuja is also a professional grant writer and the Fiction Editor with The Ex-Puritan Magazine. She holds a degree in English Literature from McGill University and a Creative Writing Certificate from the University of Toronto.
Anuja lives in Hamilton, Ontario with her partner, two kids, and two cats.
Her debut novel A KISS OF CRIMSON ASH is the first book in a lush new romantasy trilogy inspired by medieval India, following a naïve young queen, a heartsick prince, a streetwise thief, and a courtesan with magic in her blood who join forces with an ancient goddess to challenge the empire’s most powerful men. Pitched as Dungeons & Dragons x Bollywood’s most epic love stories, AKOCA is forthcoming in early 2026 with Penguin Random House Canada, Orbit US, and Orbit UK.
Anuja’s short story collection titled CHRYSALIS (House of Anansi, 2023), explores South Asian diaspora experience through a feminist, queer, speculative lens. In 2023, Chrysalis won the Writer’s Trust of Canada Dayne Ogilvie Prize for LGBTQ2S+ Emerging Writers and the Governor General’s Literary Award for Fiction. In 2024, it was longlisted for the Carol Shields Prize for Fiction and shortlisted for the Rakuten Kobo Emerging Writer Prize for Fiction.
Anuja’s work has also been featured in many literary magazines and anthologies, including Best Women’s Erotica Volume 6 (Cleis Press, 2020), When Other People Saw Us, They Saw the Dead, (Haunt Press, 2022), Queer Little Nightmares (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2022), and Devouring Tomorrow: Fiction from the Future of Food (Dundurn Press, 2025).
Anuja is also a professional grant writer and the Fiction Editor with The Ex-Puritan Magazine. She holds a degree in English Literature from McGill University and a Creative Writing Certificate from the University of Toronto.
Anuja lives in Hamilton, Ontario with her partner, two kids, and two cats.
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November 27, 2023
Some Horror, Some Queer, Some Queer Horror
Review of the Astoria (House of Anansi) paperback edition (March 14, 2023)
[56/75 average = 3.5 rounded up]
Winner of the Canadian 2023 Governor General’s Literary Award for Fiction and the Canadian 2023 Dayne Ogilvie Writers' Trust Prize for LGBTQ2S+ Emerging Writers.
This book wasn't on my radar at all until it won the 2023 GG Award for Fiction and during my reading it won a 2023 Writers' Trust Award as well. Overall the collection veers more towards the supernatural and/or horror. As always with collections some stories appeal more than others. For me the longer stories had the most impact and most of those were 5's. The short 3 or 4 pagers were less so and one turned me off completely.
The synopses below are set-ups only and do not give away endings 🤐, so I have not spoiler blocked them. In at least one case, the title itself is a spoiler 😁.
1. Bhupati. **** A husband obsesses about statues to the goddess Lakshmi in the backyard of their home while ignoring his wife. The statues are being struck by lightning.
2. The Vetala’s Song. ***** A ghost is haunting the charnel grounds of funeral pyres.
3. Dreams of Drowning Girls. *** A woman has various dreams of drowning while going through different relationships.
4. In the Bone Fields. ***** Identical sisters grow up in a farm in Canada. A room in the farmhouse is haunted.
5. Remembrance. ***** A former gas station attendant remembers a customer from back in the day. The gas station is now across the street from a so-called haunted motel where a murder took place.
6. Milk. *** A school girl is bullied by a clique led by a girl who pours stale milk into her backpack.
7. Cherry Blossom Fever. *** A love affair is inspired by the cherry tree blossoms in Toronto’s High Park in the spring. The two people are hiding secrets from each other.
8. One, Two, Buckle My Shoe. ** A haunting by voices reciting a nursery rhyme. Very short 3 pages.
9. Stories in the Language of the Fist. ***** A woman is subjected to various micro-aggressions in her job and remembers bullying from her childhood. These manifest as the feeling of a fist tightening in her chest.
10. Night Zoo. ** A family moves to a small town where they are hiding a secret about themselves. Very short 4 page story.
11. Arvind. **** A mother is obsessed with the child which she had to give up for adoption when she was still too young to raise it.
12. Chitra (Or: A Meteor Hit the Mall and Chitra Danced in the Flames) *****. Chitra dreams of owning good shoes while competing with her evil step-sisters. Obviously inspired by the Cinderella story. My favourite story in the collection.
13. A Cure for Fear of Screaming *. A surreal horror story about a couple where the woman can’t scream. It lost me at the cat killing.
14. Midnight at the Oasis *****. A transgender boy grows up to find love while being estranged from family.
15. Chrysalis. ****. A woman has affairs in Toronto and Montreal and travels between the cities on the train.
Trivia and Links
Read an interview with the author and an introduction to the book at the CBC Books article Queer South Asian writer from Hamilton among finalists for Governor General Literary Awards by Aura Carreño Rosas on Oct 30, 2023.
Review of the Astoria (House of Anansi) paperback edition (March 14, 2023)
[56/75 average = 3.5 rounded up]
Winner of the Canadian 2023 Governor General’s Literary Award for Fiction and the Canadian 2023 Dayne Ogilvie Writers' Trust Prize for LGBTQ2S+ Emerging Writers.
This book wasn't on my radar at all until it won the 2023 GG Award for Fiction and during my reading it won a 2023 Writers' Trust Award as well. Overall the collection veers more towards the supernatural and/or horror. As always with collections some stories appeal more than others. For me the longer stories had the most impact and most of those were 5's. The short 3 or 4 pagers were less so and one turned me off completely.
The synopses below are set-ups only and do not give away endings 🤐, so I have not spoiler blocked them. In at least one case, the title itself is a spoiler 😁.
1. Bhupati. **** A husband obsesses about statues to the goddess Lakshmi in the backyard of their home while ignoring his wife. The statues are being struck by lightning.
2. The Vetala’s Song. ***** A ghost is haunting the charnel grounds of funeral pyres.
3. Dreams of Drowning Girls. *** A woman has various dreams of drowning while going through different relationships.
4. In the Bone Fields. ***** Identical sisters grow up in a farm in Canada. A room in the farmhouse is haunted.
5. Remembrance. ***** A former gas station attendant remembers a customer from back in the day. The gas station is now across the street from a so-called haunted motel where a murder took place.
6. Milk. *** A school girl is bullied by a clique led by a girl who pours stale milk into her backpack.
7. Cherry Blossom Fever. *** A love affair is inspired by the cherry tree blossoms in Toronto’s High Park in the spring. The two people are hiding secrets from each other.
8. One, Two, Buckle My Shoe. ** A haunting by voices reciting a nursery rhyme. Very short 3 pages.
9. Stories in the Language of the Fist. ***** A woman is subjected to various micro-aggressions in her job and remembers bullying from her childhood. These manifest as the feeling of a fist tightening in her chest.
10. Night Zoo. ** A family moves to a small town where they are hiding a secret about themselves. Very short 4 page story.
11. Arvind. **** A mother is obsessed with the child which she had to give up for adoption when she was still too young to raise it.
12. Chitra (Or: A Meteor Hit the Mall and Chitra Danced in the Flames) *****. Chitra dreams of owning good shoes while competing with her evil step-sisters. Obviously inspired by the Cinderella story. My favourite story in the collection.
13. A Cure for Fear of Screaming *. A surreal horror story about a couple where the woman can’t scream. It lost me at the cat killing.
14. Midnight at the Oasis *****. A transgender boy grows up to find love while being estranged from family.
15. Chrysalis. ****. A woman has affairs in Toronto and Montreal and travels between the cities on the train.
Trivia and Links
Read an interview with the author and an introduction to the book at the CBC Books article Queer South Asian writer from Hamilton among finalists for Governor General Literary Awards by Aura Carreño Rosas on Oct 30, 2023.
December 8, 2023
Yay Canadian writers! I’d never heard of this author until I noticed she had won a pretty prestigious award, and picked up this collection when I saw it. I’m not a big short story fan, not much of a horror buff, and really don’t care much for fairy tales, but this is such an unusual collection. Each story is short, powerful, and effective and I have to say there really isn't one I didn’t enjoy. While the writing is a bit flowery for my taste, I respect the author’s use of it, especially in phrases like the “mist with teeth” that fell on the multiple Lakshmis in the first story, “Bhupati” which is my second favourite next to “Remembrance,” about the purportedly haunted motel. Lots of feminist oomph and some powerful voices (although they all seem rather alike as I read through.) 4 stars and a note to keep an eye out for this author.
January 13, 2023
2.5 generously rounded up. There were a few stories I really loved in this collection. "Chitra" was an amazing retelling of Cinderella that I just devoured. "Midnight at the Oasis" was also really lovely. However, I have to admit that most of this collection won't stick in my memory and much of it felt rushed, even forced (even the bits I really liked). I felt like the author really wanted to touch on these important and often very personal topics - queerness, trans identity, racism - but stopped just short of really opening them up and giving them enough space to breathe so that they could be truly affecting.
In other words, the collection felt very surface-level, the stories moving so fast that the reader never got a chance to connect to them. In a way, this felt like a collection for younger readers because it lacked the complexity and nuance I would have hoped to find. I appreciate what "Chrysalis" was attempting to achieve, but it just fell short for me.
In other words, the collection felt very surface-level, the stories moving so fast that the reader never got a chance to connect to them. In a way, this felt like a collection for younger readers because it lacked the complexity and nuance I would have hoped to find. I appreciate what "Chrysalis" was attempting to achieve, but it just fell short for me.
May 20, 2023
Another great Alice Munro Festival short story collection! These stories invoked a range of emotions from joy, sorrow, rage and everything in-between. My hands-down favorite was the story, Cherry blossom fever, told from alternating POVs of four people involved in secret and not so secret relationships with a couple wonderfully placed references to Alice Munro and Margaret Atwood. The sense of place and character development really blew me away in this collection, especially given the short nature of these tales. Good on audio too narrated by the author herself. I truly can't wait to read what she writes next!
CW: miscarriage, workplace micro-aggressions, racism
CW: miscarriage, workplace micro-aggressions, racism
January 23, 2024
I recommend reading this! Wow, wow, wow.
March 27, 2024
(3.5) This debut collection of 15 stories brims with magic and horror, and teems with women of colour and queer people. Indeed, Varghese dedicates the book to “all the girls and women who don’t see themselves in most stories.” Most of the characters are of South Asian extraction. Adoption recurs in a couple of places. Two of the rarer realist stories, “Milk” and “Stories in the Language of the Fist,” have protagonists dealing with schoolgirl bullying and workplace microaggressions. More often, there are unexplained phenomena that position the players between life and death. “In the Bone Fields” focuses on the twin daughters of an Indian immigrant family on a Canadian farm. The house and the bone field behind are active and hungry, and only one twin will survive. (I got mild North Woods vibes.)
In the title story, Radhika visits her mother’s grave and wonders whether her life is here in Montreal with her lover or back in Toronto with her husband. Fangs and wings symbolize her desire for independence. Elsewhere, watery metaphors alternately evoke fear of drowning or sexual fluidity. “Midnight at the Oasis” charts the transformation of a trans woman and “Cherry Blossom Fever,” one of my two favourites, bounces between several POVs. Marjan is in love with Talia, but she’s married to Sunil, who’s also in love with Silas. “People do it — open their relationships and negotiate rules and write themselves into polyamorous fairy tales … Other people. Not brown people,” Talia sighs. They are better off, at least, than they would be back in India, where homophobia can be deadly (“The Vetala’s Song”).
My other favourite was “Bhupati,” about a man who sets up multiple Lakshmi figures in the backyard, hoping devotion will earn him and his wife a better future. The statues keep being burned up by lightning; we learn his wife may be petitioning for different things. “Chitra” is a straightforward Cinderella retelling whose title character lives with two mean stepsisters and works in food service at the mall. A Shoe Chateau BOGO closing sale gives her the chance to get a bargain – and catch the manager’s eye. Despite a striking ending signalled by the story’s subtitle, all I could conclude about this one was “cute.” The three flash horror stories (a murder hotel, ghosts in a basement, werewolves) were much the weakest for me.
There’s a pretty even split of third- and first-person stories (nine versus six) here, and the genre shifts frequently. The quality wasn’t as consistent as I’d hoped, but it was an engaging read. The overall blend of feminism and horror had me thinking of Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado, but I’d be most likely to recommend this to fans of Julia Armfield, Violet Kupersmith and Vauhini Vara.
Originally published on my blog, Bookish Beck.
In the title story, Radhika visits her mother’s grave and wonders whether her life is here in Montreal with her lover or back in Toronto with her husband. Fangs and wings symbolize her desire for independence. Elsewhere, watery metaphors alternately evoke fear of drowning or sexual fluidity. “Midnight at the Oasis” charts the transformation of a trans woman and “Cherry Blossom Fever,” one of my two favourites, bounces between several POVs. Marjan is in love with Talia, but she’s married to Sunil, who’s also in love with Silas. “People do it — open their relationships and negotiate rules and write themselves into polyamorous fairy tales … Other people. Not brown people,” Talia sighs. They are better off, at least, than they would be back in India, where homophobia can be deadly (“The Vetala’s Song”).
My other favourite was “Bhupati,” about a man who sets up multiple Lakshmi figures in the backyard, hoping devotion will earn him and his wife a better future. The statues keep being burned up by lightning; we learn his wife may be petitioning for different things. “Chitra” is a straightforward Cinderella retelling whose title character lives with two mean stepsisters and works in food service at the mall. A Shoe Chateau BOGO closing sale gives her the chance to get a bargain – and catch the manager’s eye. Despite a striking ending signalled by the story’s subtitle, all I could conclude about this one was “cute.” The three flash horror stories (a murder hotel, ghosts in a basement, werewolves) were much the weakest for me.
There’s a pretty even split of third- and first-person stories (nine versus six) here, and the genre shifts frequently. The quality wasn’t as consistent as I’d hoped, but it was an engaging read. The overall blend of feminism and horror had me thinking of Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado, but I’d be most likely to recommend this to fans of Julia Armfield, Violet Kupersmith and Vauhini Vara.
Originally published on my blog, Bookish Beck.
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February 20, 2024i’m not gonna lie, some of these really hurt !
it’s an impressive debut collection. varghese does a great job making the mundane feel grotesque and the grotesque feel even more grotesque. like any collection, there were some stories that resonated more than others, but they all kept me turning pages. i will definitely be watching out for what she writes next.
edit: i have a little more time now and want to give some additional thoughts. so here they are, in no particular order:
- feminist horror is fascinating to me in general. i find its themes are often, like, ~the real horror is that she’s a woman of colour~. which, don’t get me wrong, very interesting, and this collection definitely does some of that. but some of these stories are also unexpectedly uplifting, even joyful. and i think it takes real skill to vary your tone that way when working within a genre that generally deals in bleaker themes. so i found varghese’s writing rlly impressive on that front.
- some of the stories were subtler than others, thematically, which i think is okay.
- there were a couple of really short ones in this collection. i found those particularly fun because they’re kind of just like, hey, here’s a concept, wouldn’t this be horrifying? the night zoo, in particular, just takes four pages to present the most insane hypothetical. and i loved it for that.
- i love toronto lit !!!! it’s so much fun to read a whole collection almost all set in your city. and then the fact that it was queer brown feminist toronto lit ??? can’t believe she wrote this book just for me lol.
- i think “in the bone fields” was one of my favourites, though i suspect it wouldn’t be on a reread. some of the stories in this collection probably get better with every read, as you get to really sink your teeth into what they mean. some of them are just made to be torn through, i think. and “in the bone fields” is totally the latter but it’s just such a page turner and so good.
- other highlights: “the vetala’s song,” “a cure for fear of screaming,” “cherry blossom fever”; and then mixed feelings about “stories in the language of the fist” because it was definitely more transparent/heavy-handed. but it also depicted an experience that i think is really interesting, and i think it depicted that experience thoughtfully and truthfully and in a way that made me feel.
it’s an impressive debut collection. varghese does a great job making the mundane feel grotesque and the grotesque feel even more grotesque. like any collection, there were some stories that resonated more than others, but they all kept me turning pages. i will definitely be watching out for what she writes next.
edit: i have a little more time now and want to give some additional thoughts. so here they are, in no particular order:
- feminist horror is fascinating to me in general. i find its themes are often, like, ~the real horror is that she’s a woman of colour~. which, don’t get me wrong, very interesting, and this collection definitely does some of that. but some of these stories are also unexpectedly uplifting, even joyful. and i think it takes real skill to vary your tone that way when working within a genre that generally deals in bleaker themes. so i found varghese’s writing rlly impressive on that front.
- some of the stories were subtler than others, thematically, which i think is okay.
- there were a couple of really short ones in this collection. i found those particularly fun because they’re kind of just like, hey, here’s a concept, wouldn’t this be horrifying? the night zoo, in particular, just takes four pages to present the most insane hypothetical. and i loved it for that.
- i love toronto lit !!!! it’s so much fun to read a whole collection almost all set in your city. and then the fact that it was queer brown feminist toronto lit ??? can’t believe she wrote this book just for me lol.
- i think “in the bone fields” was one of my favourites, though i suspect it wouldn’t be on a reread. some of the stories in this collection probably get better with every read, as you get to really sink your teeth into what they mean. some of them are just made to be torn through, i think. and “in the bone fields” is totally the latter but it’s just such a page turner and so good.
- other highlights: “the vetala’s song,” “a cure for fear of screaming,” “cherry blossom fever”; and then mixed feelings about “stories in the language of the fist” because it was definitely more transparent/heavy-handed. but it also depicted an experience that i think is really interesting, and i think it depicted that experience thoughtfully and truthfully and in a way that made me feel.
March 15, 2023
I really enjoyed these stories. I find it hard to give a collection of stories a rating cause some I really thought were amazing and other not so much. Also I just love Canadian queer stories.
January 26, 2024
***Mild Spoilers in the Story-by-Story Ratings Below***
Spoiler Free Review:
TLDR: Once you hit page 83, you can close the book.
Man....this review hurts to leave. Let me start by saying that Chrysalis is a fantastic collection of stories to read if your goal is to burn through a book and get out of a reading slum. ~190 pages of stories and I burned through it in 3-hours. I'll also say that some of these shorts were just immaculate, like truly perfect, meaningful, touching, chilling, and terrifying to their core and I loved them. I'll go more in depth below but, some of these shorts were just 5/5 stars, freaking phenomenal. I'm just so confused how someone who can write such beautiful works can also put out some of the other shorts that were in this collection. Like for every 5 star short, there was a legitimate 0 star short to balance things out and I am just at a loss here. I think one of the biggest things too was just how disjointed these stories felt from one another. They all touch a lot of feminist concepts which links them all together in a nice enough way but, so many of the stories (especially in the earlier half of the book) have such strong supernatural/horror themes that genuinely had me feeling creeped out in my home, and then 2/3 of the way through it felt like Varghese either forgot about all the amazing tension she built in her earlier shorts or just stopped caring??? Honestly, not all of the later shorts were even poorly written, some of them were great but, just so out of place in this collection. You start off in this mind-bending, anxiety-inducing, thriller vibe and then by the end it felt like I was reading a COHO novel and a thrown together Wattpad fanfic.
Short-by-Short Review:
**Gonna try to keep spoilers to a minimum
1. Bhupati - 3.5/5 Stars
A solid short, albeit a little predictable and transparent, and a good kick off into the collection. Generally felt pretty good about this one. Right from the get go the underlying messages about devotion and alluding to themes of infidelity are pretty clear which was nice, and the supernatural element kept me hooked. Think a little more mystery could have been fun but, otherwise solid.
2. The Vetala's Song - 3.5/5 Stars
Honestly a SUPER interesting concept, incredibly tragic and heartbreaking. I think I would've rated it higher but there's this what I'm going to refer to as: "snake prophecy" dialogue that just like....doesn't really hold any relevance.....at all......It was like a pretty pivotal moment for the short and then just doesn't really get dealt with at all. I think the logistics of this story were just unclear. Needed to understand what the consequences were of some of these actions.
3. Dreams of a Drowning Girl - 4/5 Stars
Alright f**k yea, now we're getting somewhere! Really enjoyed this one, perfect level of mystery and aloofness to the story telling. Clearly something going on that we're not in the loop on and it makes you work to figure it out. Think I got a little bit lost with legit just the last section to this one and maybe that's just me but, this did not wrap up nicely whatsoever for me.
4. In the Bone Fields - 5/5 Stars
Freaking CLASSIC unsettling short material here and I loved every god damn second. Lots of content here talking about the influence of family and the struggle to outrun your early life/the people and places that defined your childhood, and also questioning whether or not that urge to run is really healthy in the first place....but in like a creepy, sadistic, terrifying way. Loved it. Great plot twists.
5. Remembrance - 5/5 Stars
After In the Bone Fields, this short made me think this collection was going to be the best thing I've ever read. First off, this short talks directly to the reader (it reads like a letter) which was probably the creepiest thing about it but, the story itself was also just brilliant. Revenge, empowerment, solidarity, it was all just freaking brilliant.
6. Milk - 4/5 Stars
I'm gonna make this one short. Massive bad vibes from this one but god the symbolism was so genius that I needed to give it a higher rating. However, I would pay you to let me never read this again.
7. Cherry Blossom Fever - 4.5/5 Stars
Very cool story....wondering where the supernatural elements went to but, such a solid story with a twist in that it starts shifting perspectives that I was like "yea okay, no this is fine - perhaps even a nice little break".
8. One, Two, Buckle My Shoe - 4.5/5 Stars
The supernatural elements are back and BOY are they back for real. Genuinely terrifying whenever you can incorporate a children's song, almost a guaranteed heart attack for me. Fantastic short - dare I say perhaps it would have benefitted from a little bit more writing....its like 3 pages long and they are 3 terrifying pages but, maybe a little bit more? Milk (don't want to think about Milk again sorry) it a little! But, also the shortness really emphasized the suddenness and shock of the real-world events which this parallels so I could see the benefit of keeping it so concise. Effective nevertheless.
9. Stories in the Language of the Fist - 2/5 Stars
Alright, we've lost the supernatural elements again and this just felt like a scene out of (insert the name of any TV drama you can think of here).....I get what experience Varghese is trying to convey here but, its just too much and all way too on the nose. Where did the nuanced writing go from earlier??? Subtly???
10. Night Zoo - 2.5/5 Stars
Mild return of supernatural elements! I hate that my rating for this one is so low because honestly it had fantastic potential but, just not fleshed out. Again, it's like 3 pages and I know there is something good here but, I just needed it to be less rushed. A lot of good structure here to talk about gentrification etc., just needed more.
11. Arvind - 2/5 Stars
A beautifully tragic story that really could have resonated but, just so out of place with the rest of the collection. Bye-bye supernatural elements again.
12. Chitra - 0/5 Stars
COME ON....be so fr right now.....you did not just make a fanfic of Cinderella and toss it in here.....tell me you didn't do it.....come on.....
13. Cure for Fear of Screaming - 3/5 Stars
Alright yea this was pretty good. Not so supernatural or anything but, definitely had a horror/thriller vibe to it that I was here for. Deeply unsettling. Good job.
14. Midnight at the Oasis = 2/5 Stars
Okay, not my kind of story tbh but, I do appreciate this short giving a voice to a severely underrepresented group of individuals and I think that's great. I think this could've been adapted into a significantly longer story to make up for some of the clunkiness and also to separate it from this collection because it truly felt so out of place.
15. Chrysalis = 2/5 Stars
Meh....not much else to add in here, I was just very underwhelmed. Again, tragic and something that I think needs to be vocalized but, just severely out of place here and not a strong piece of writing imo.
Spoiler Free Review:
TLDR: Once you hit page 83, you can close the book.
Man....this review hurts to leave. Let me start by saying that Chrysalis is a fantastic collection of stories to read if your goal is to burn through a book and get out of a reading slum. ~190 pages of stories and I burned through it in 3-hours. I'll also say that some of these shorts were just immaculate, like truly perfect, meaningful, touching, chilling, and terrifying to their core and I loved them. I'll go more in depth below but, some of these shorts were just 5/5 stars, freaking phenomenal. I'm just so confused how someone who can write such beautiful works can also put out some of the other shorts that were in this collection. Like for every 5 star short, there was a legitimate 0 star short to balance things out and I am just at a loss here. I think one of the biggest things too was just how disjointed these stories felt from one another. They all touch a lot of feminist concepts which links them all together in a nice enough way but, so many of the stories (especially in the earlier half of the book) have such strong supernatural/horror themes that genuinely had me feeling creeped out in my home, and then 2/3 of the way through it felt like Varghese either forgot about all the amazing tension she built in her earlier shorts or just stopped caring??? Honestly, not all of the later shorts were even poorly written, some of them were great but, just so out of place in this collection. You start off in this mind-bending, anxiety-inducing, thriller vibe and then by the end it felt like I was reading a COHO novel and a thrown together Wattpad fanfic.
Short-by-Short Review:
**Gonna try to keep spoilers to a minimum
1. Bhupati - 3.5/5 Stars
A solid short, albeit a little predictable and transparent, and a good kick off into the collection. Generally felt pretty good about this one. Right from the get go the underlying messages about devotion and alluding to themes of infidelity are pretty clear which was nice, and the supernatural element kept me hooked. Think a little more mystery could have been fun but, otherwise solid.
2. The Vetala's Song - 3.5/5 Stars
Honestly a SUPER interesting concept, incredibly tragic and heartbreaking. I think I would've rated it higher but there's this what I'm going to refer to as: "snake prophecy" dialogue that just like....doesn't really hold any relevance.....at all......It was like a pretty pivotal moment for the short and then just doesn't really get dealt with at all. I think the logistics of this story were just unclear. Needed to understand what the consequences were of some of these actions.
3. Dreams of a Drowning Girl - 4/5 Stars
Alright f**k yea, now we're getting somewhere! Really enjoyed this one, perfect level of mystery and aloofness to the story telling. Clearly something going on that we're not in the loop on and it makes you work to figure it out. Think I got a little bit lost with legit just the last section to this one and maybe that's just me but, this did not wrap up nicely whatsoever for me.
4. In the Bone Fields - 5/5 Stars
Freaking CLASSIC unsettling short material here and I loved every god damn second. Lots of content here talking about the influence of family and the struggle to outrun your early life/the people and places that defined your childhood, and also questioning whether or not that urge to run is really healthy in the first place....but in like a creepy, sadistic, terrifying way. Loved it. Great plot twists.
5. Remembrance - 5/5 Stars
After In the Bone Fields, this short made me think this collection was going to be the best thing I've ever read. First off, this short talks directly to the reader (it reads like a letter) which was probably the creepiest thing about it but, the story itself was also just brilliant. Revenge, empowerment, solidarity, it was all just freaking brilliant.
6. Milk - 4/5 Stars
I'm gonna make this one short. Massive bad vibes from this one but god the symbolism was so genius that I needed to give it a higher rating. However, I would pay you to let me never read this again.
7. Cherry Blossom Fever - 4.5/5 Stars
Very cool story....wondering where the supernatural elements went to but, such a solid story with a twist in that it starts shifting perspectives that I was like "yea okay, no this is fine - perhaps even a nice little break".
8. One, Two, Buckle My Shoe - 4.5/5 Stars
The supernatural elements are back and BOY are they back for real. Genuinely terrifying whenever you can incorporate a children's song, almost a guaranteed heart attack for me. Fantastic short - dare I say perhaps it would have benefitted from a little bit more writing....its like 3 pages long and they are 3 terrifying pages but, maybe a little bit more? Milk (don't want to think about Milk again sorry) it a little! But, also the shortness really emphasized the suddenness and shock of the real-world events which this parallels so I could see the benefit of keeping it so concise. Effective nevertheless.
9. Stories in the Language of the Fist - 2/5 Stars
Alright, we've lost the supernatural elements again and this just felt like a scene out of (insert the name of any TV drama you can think of here).....I get what experience Varghese is trying to convey here but, its just too much and all way too on the nose. Where did the nuanced writing go from earlier??? Subtly???
10. Night Zoo - 2.5/5 Stars
Mild return of supernatural elements! I hate that my rating for this one is so low because honestly it had fantastic potential but, just not fleshed out. Again, it's like 3 pages and I know there is something good here but, I just needed it to be less rushed. A lot of good structure here to talk about gentrification etc., just needed more.
11. Arvind - 2/5 Stars
A beautifully tragic story that really could have resonated but, just so out of place with the rest of the collection. Bye-bye supernatural elements again.
12. Chitra - 0/5 Stars
COME ON....be so fr right now.....you did not just make a fanfic of Cinderella and toss it in here.....tell me you didn't do it.....come on.....
13. Cure for Fear of Screaming - 3/5 Stars
Alright yea this was pretty good. Not so supernatural or anything but, definitely had a horror/thriller vibe to it that I was here for. Deeply unsettling. Good job.
14. Midnight at the Oasis = 2/5 Stars
Okay, not my kind of story tbh but, I do appreciate this short giving a voice to a severely underrepresented group of individuals and I think that's great. I think this could've been adapted into a significantly longer story to make up for some of the clunkiness and also to separate it from this collection because it truly felt so out of place.
15. Chrysalis = 2/5 Stars
Meh....not much else to add in here, I was just very underwhelmed. Again, tragic and something that I think needs to be vocalized but, just severely out of place here and not a strong piece of writing imo.
March 27, 2024
I usually have very hard times with short story collections but this one worked. It's got just the right amount of melancholy cut with a whole lot of rage. Exactly the way I love my literature.
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July 1, 2023"Chrysalis" by Anuja Varghese is an exceptional collection of short stories that delves into romantic love, grief, and complex family relationships. Varghese's skillful storytelling effectively touches readers, evoking a range of emotions regardless of their personal connection to the characters' circumstances.
Intersectionality is core to every story in this collection. A number of the stories involved LGBTQ+ characters. For example, the plot of “The Vetala’s Song” deals with a female ghost attempting to find the ashes of her former lover, whom she could not be with due to the homophobia they faced in their community. Varghese wrote South Asian characters whose identities defy expectations of how they should look and act. As a reader looking for works that deviate from overused South Asian stereotypes, I am inspired by the initiative Varghese has taken to make her stories inclusive.
The book's diversity in storytelling approaches is also captivating. Some stories convey their messages directly, while others employ figurative language, allowing readers to interpret and engage their imagination. This balance provides a thought-provoking reading experience, with narratives that resonate long after the book is finished. One standout story, "Stories in the Language of the Fist," explores the experiences of Farrah, who embodies the tangible representation of feminine rage known as the "fist." Varghese's exploration of this anger, born from years of mistreatment in a patriarchal and white-dominated society, strikes a powerful chord. Readers who resonate with this fire within will find solace and connection within the pages of this book.
Intersectionality is core to every story in this collection. A number of the stories involved LGBTQ+ characters. For example, the plot of “The Vetala’s Song” deals with a female ghost attempting to find the ashes of her former lover, whom she could not be with due to the homophobia they faced in their community. Varghese wrote South Asian characters whose identities defy expectations of how they should look and act. As a reader looking for works that deviate from overused South Asian stereotypes, I am inspired by the initiative Varghese has taken to make her stories inclusive.
The book's diversity in storytelling approaches is also captivating. Some stories convey their messages directly, while others employ figurative language, allowing readers to interpret and engage their imagination. This balance provides a thought-provoking reading experience, with narratives that resonate long after the book is finished. One standout story, "Stories in the Language of the Fist," explores the experiences of Farrah, who embodies the tangible representation of feminine rage known as the "fist." Varghese's exploration of this anger, born from years of mistreatment in a patriarchal and white-dominated society, strikes a powerful chord. Readers who resonate with this fire within will find solace and connection within the pages of this book.
March 24, 2024
4/5–Often shot through with urban discomfort and wildly inventive, this collection cuts and swerves and swoons. Many pieces have the twisty plots and catch-you-by-surprise endings of an Ambrose Bierce short story. I fell in love with “Midnight at the Oasis,” though for me, “Chitra”—a Cinderella story featuring sisters with vile natures that give King Lear’s Regan and Goneril a run for their money—is the strongest entry, allowing Varghese’s innovative imagery and structural awareness room to stretch. It shows that with a larger palette, Varghese’s incomparable skills can only grow, and I can’t wait to dig into her first full-length work.
May 11, 2025
Superb collection of short stories full of weirdness and horror. For a debut, this is really good. There's a lot of queerness in the book and most, if not all, stories have POC protagonists. A big focus is on the south Asian/Indian subcontinent diaspora in Canada.
For me, this was a difficult read. There are a lot of potential triggers and some of the stories were outright brutal. But every now and then, I have the mental capacity to read something upsetting. And books like this are exactly what I'm searching for in these moments.
For me, this was a difficult read. There are a lot of potential triggers and some of the stories were outright brutal. But every now and then, I have the mental capacity to read something upsetting. And books like this are exactly what I'm searching for in these moments.
March 25, 2024
Short stories are not usually my genre of choice but after meeting Anuja Varghese at the Grimsby Author Series, I really enjoyed the unique mix of stories about change and transformation. the author shared that she wrote the stories over a couple of years and at times, used settings in the Niagara area (for example the farm house in the Bone Fields was inspired by a location in Port Colborne).
My favourite was the Language of the Fists which gave a visceral response to the micro aggressions that the main character was receiving at her work place and from her lifelong friend.
this book won a Governor General Award and I look forward to what this author will write next!
My favourite was the Language of the Fists which gave a visceral response to the micro aggressions that the main character was receiving at her work place and from her lifelong friend.
this book won a Governor General Award and I look forward to what this author will write next!
April 6, 2023
Anuja Varghese's debut collection of short stories, Chrysalis, is a powerful exploration of the experiences of racialized women. With precision and insight, Varghese delves into complex intersections of family, community, sexuality, and cultural expectation, aiming at how these women are robbed of power and agency.
The stories in Chrysalis are, by turns, poignant and chilling, blurring the lines between the real world and worlds beyond. From a couple in a crumbling marriage who faces divine intervention to a woman who dies in her dreams until she finds salvation in an unexpected source, to a teenage misfit who discovers a darkness lurking just beyond the borders of her suburban home, Varghese's tales are haunting and unforgettable.
What sets Chrysalis apart is Varghese's ability to weave together themes of race, gender, and power in an urgent and deeply personal way. Her characters are complex, fully realized individuals who grapple with the weight of societal expectations, familial pressures, and their desires. In each story, Varghese reveals how these women navigate their lives gracefully and resiliently, despite overwhelming adversity.
Overall, Chrysalis is a stunning debut from a talented writer. Varghese's stories are masterfully crafted, with a keen eye for detail and empathy. For readers looking for a nuanced and thought-provoking exploration of race, gender, and power, Chrysalis is a must-read.
The stories in Chrysalis are, by turns, poignant and chilling, blurring the lines between the real world and worlds beyond. From a couple in a crumbling marriage who faces divine intervention to a woman who dies in her dreams until she finds salvation in an unexpected source, to a teenage misfit who discovers a darkness lurking just beyond the borders of her suburban home, Varghese's tales are haunting and unforgettable.
What sets Chrysalis apart is Varghese's ability to weave together themes of race, gender, and power in an urgent and deeply personal way. Her characters are complex, fully realized individuals who grapple with the weight of societal expectations, familial pressures, and their desires. In each story, Varghese reveals how these women navigate their lives gracefully and resiliently, despite overwhelming adversity.
Overall, Chrysalis is a stunning debut from a talented writer. Varghese's stories are masterfully crafted, with a keen eye for detail and empathy. For readers looking for a nuanced and thought-provoking exploration of race, gender, and power, Chrysalis is a must-read.
August 25, 2023
3.5! realizing i really enjoy reading debut authors but specifically for short stories because you can see the creativity blooming and the potential for them to create something truly stunning that isn’t quite there but they’re on the right path and once they find it it’s gonna be incredible
i think for this author she knew what she wanted to say and a few times conveyed it so perfectly but overall i feel like she was holding back or just playing with ideas rather than fully embracing them so again excited to see what else she does
i think for this author she knew what she wanted to say and a few times conveyed it so perfectly but overall i feel like she was holding back or just playing with ideas rather than fully embracing them so again excited to see what else she does
August 16, 2024
Anuja Varghese’s prose is beautifully economical, but her imagery and surrealism are lush and vivid. I really enjoyed the blend of slice-of-life, folktale, and horror in these stories, with almost all of them having some mix of all three elements. She also writes about sex with confidence throughout the collection, which I appreciate and think was generally done both tastefully and explicitly.
Some stories in the collection are definitely stronger than others. But the highs are truly enchanting. I definitely would check out more from Varghese!
Some stories in the collection are definitely stronger than others. But the highs are truly enchanting. I definitely would check out more from Varghese!
December 20, 2023
SO GOOD 4.5 stars very surprised by this because i just randomly grabbed this at the library but this little tiny collection of queer horror stories was beautiful!
January 8, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
Chrysalis by Anuja Varghese
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(4/5)
Genre-blending short stories are officially my new favorite things to read. After reading Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado, there was no question on me also picking up Chrysalis by Anuja Varghese.
Varghese's stories are spiritual, spooky, honest, and queer. My only qualm is that i wish some of them were longer! Here were a few that really stuck out to me:
• "Stories in the Language of the Fist" was an especially memorable one for me as it relates one woman's experience in racism, othering, and assimilation in a corporate setting.
• "Chitra" was another favorite of mine. It follows a Cinderella retelling placed in an ordinary mall where there is the food court, the Dumpster, and The Shoe Chalet. Oh yeah, and a meteor.
• "In the Bone Fields" was a spooky read involving the paranormal, queerness, and a reunion.
Give this one a read if you love:
* queerness
* a quick read
* fresh stories
Chrysalis by Anuja Varghese
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(4/5)
Genre-blending short stories are officially my new favorite things to read. After reading Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado, there was no question on me also picking up Chrysalis by Anuja Varghese.
Varghese's stories are spiritual, spooky, honest, and queer. My only qualm is that i wish some of them were longer! Here were a few that really stuck out to me:
• "Stories in the Language of the Fist" was an especially memorable one for me as it relates one woman's experience in racism, othering, and assimilation in a corporate setting.
• "Chitra" was another favorite of mine. It follows a Cinderella retelling placed in an ordinary mall where there is the food court, the Dumpster, and The Shoe Chalet. Oh yeah, and a meteor.
• "In the Bone Fields" was a spooky read involving the paranormal, queerness, and a reunion.
Give this one a read if you love:
* queerness
* a quick read
* fresh stories
April 3, 2023
vibrant and voluminous writing. stories that speak to the strange spectrum of life, each with their own complex characters who feel equally magical and real.
this is one of my favorite short story collections of the decade. can't wait to see what more anuja varghese creates.
this is one of my favorite short story collections of the decade. can't wait to see what more anuja varghese creates.
April 14, 2023
4.5 stars
I went into this collection of speculative short stories without knowing too much. So many of the stories in here are captivating, and I never really knew what would come next.
The stories range from slightly unnerving to chilling, with themes of queerness (love the sapphic trans rep in one especially), desire for connection, transformation, and belonging. With touches of magical realism and horror, I found myself looking forward to each turn of the page.
I love the way Varghese writes descriptions, vivid and haunting. My favourite stories are In the Bone Fields, Cherry Blossom Fever, Stories in the Language of the Fist, and Midnight at the Oasis.
There are definitely darker themes but what is horror if not a reflection of the darker aspects of life. The author has identified the following content warnings: self-harm, domestic violence, racism, miscarriage, homophobia, and homophobic violence.
If you like short story collections and want to hear from a more diverse perspective, this collection is for you!
Also, I see that she has written for Queer Little Nightmares, which is on my TBR, so I can't wait to get to that as well!
Thank you to NetGalley and House of Anansi Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I went into this collection of speculative short stories without knowing too much. So many of the stories in here are captivating, and I never really knew what would come next.
The stories range from slightly unnerving to chilling, with themes of queerness (love the sapphic trans rep in one especially), desire for connection, transformation, and belonging. With touches of magical realism and horror, I found myself looking forward to each turn of the page.
I love the way Varghese writes descriptions, vivid and haunting. My favourite stories are In the Bone Fields, Cherry Blossom Fever, Stories in the Language of the Fist, and Midnight at the Oasis.
There are definitely darker themes but what is horror if not a reflection of the darker aspects of life. The author has identified the following content warnings: self-harm, domestic violence, racism, miscarriage, homophobia, and homophobic violence.
If you like short story collections and want to hear from a more diverse perspective, this collection is for you!
Also, I see that she has written for Queer Little Nightmares, which is on my TBR, so I can't wait to get to that as well!
Thank you to NetGalley and House of Anansi Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Read
May 8, 2023I was so excited to get an ARC of this book!
I have really been loving short story collections recently, and I my attention was instantly captured by the promise that this book was "blurring the lines between the monstrous and the mundane." While I definitely had stories I liked more than others, I thought this book delivered on that promise perfectly. The fairytale-like quality to many of the stories, combined with imperfect but intriguing characters made me excited at the beginning of every single story to see what it would be about.
My favourites were The Vetala's Song, In the Bone Fields, Cherry Blossom Fever, and, of course, Chitra, an incredible Cinderella retelling. I wasn't always a fan of the writing style and some stories I wish dug deeper into the themes being explored, but I have to say that, on finishing the book, Chitra made me forget all about those things. It's such a great story and one I'll be thinking about for a long time.
I have really been loving short story collections recently, and I my attention was instantly captured by the promise that this book was "blurring the lines between the monstrous and the mundane." While I definitely had stories I liked more than others, I thought this book delivered on that promise perfectly. The fairytale-like quality to many of the stories, combined with imperfect but intriguing characters made me excited at the beginning of every single story to see what it would be about.
My favourites were The Vetala's Song, In the Bone Fields, Cherry Blossom Fever, and, of course, Chitra, an incredible Cinderella retelling. I wasn't always a fan of the writing style and some stories I wish dug deeper into the themes being explored, but I have to say that, on finishing the book, Chitra made me forget all about those things. It's such a great story and one I'll be thinking about for a long time.
November 13, 2024
This slim, lovely book is the Hamilton Library's community book of the year. So, I picked it up a few weeks ago (in the library, obviously) and have enjoyed this collection of short stories.
The stories range from 4 pages long to 20+ pages, and span the topics of humanity with a bit of horror and other-worldliness thrown in to keep you unbalanced. I embrace stories with magical realism and whimsy and you will find this in many of the little stories. I especially liked the longer story which was a modern retelling of Cinderella.
I guess one would call Varghese's writing as feminist. If one wants to brand it that, it might be because the central themes are women who struggle to find a way for themselves. Sounds like truth telling to me.
I liked it, but it does have some sexuality, and dark themes. Not for every reader, and I'm interested to see what Varghese says at the library meeting later this week.
The stories range from 4 pages long to 20+ pages, and span the topics of humanity with a bit of horror and other-worldliness thrown in to keep you unbalanced. I embrace stories with magical realism and whimsy and you will find this in many of the little stories. I especially liked the longer story which was a modern retelling of Cinderella.
I guess one would call Varghese's writing as feminist. If one wants to brand it that, it might be because the central themes are women who struggle to find a way for themselves. Sounds like truth telling to me.
I liked it, but it does have some sexuality, and dark themes. Not for every reader, and I'm interested to see what Varghese says at the library meeting later this week.
Read
January 16, 2024I wanted to like this book more than I did. The author has some nice images and strong voicing, and I'm interested to read whatever she writes next. But the collection is very uneven, and a lot of the stories feel almost unfinished and poorly structured. Which is not unusual for a debut collection, and is more on the editor than the writer. And she is telling stories that are usually overlooked in CanLit, about queer south Asian characters, which is definitely a good thing. I just wish the stories were also good.
August 29, 2024
I don’t read stories often, I am through and through epic world adventure in 12 volumes type of reader. Anuja Varghese’s collection of stories surprised me. The author didn’t shy away from uncomfortable topics like sexuality, cultural shame and those darn difficult families. The mixture of esoteric and poetic, I highly recommend it.
When to read it: on those rare early evenings when the seasons change and you can sneak a peak of different worlds.
When to read it: on those rare early evenings when the seasons change and you can sneak a peak of different worlds.
March 18, 2024
This is an absolutely stunning debut, so many killer stories in here that cover a variety of genres. Check out my thoughts on all the stories in the collection!
Read the full review on my blog!
Read the full review on my blog!
September 14, 2025
I was all over the place with this book. At one point I considered DNFing it. I felt like it was a bit *TOO* deep for me, but then some stories were so good. In the end I ended up enjoying it more than I thought. Quick and easy read.
November 3, 2025
4.5!
This collection is so great, the writing style really fits the short story form perfectly. Some standout stories to me were In the Bone Fields, Cherry Blossom Forever, and Stories in the Language of the First, but so many more are just as memorable.
This collection is so great, the writing style really fits the short story form perfectly. Some standout stories to me were In the Bone Fields, Cherry Blossom Forever, and Stories in the Language of the First, but so many more are just as memorable.
September 7, 2023
What a delightful collection of short stories! I am really looking forward to Anuja's first novel - I think she's very talented and can't wait to see more from her.
December 26, 2024
One of my favorite books this year. Everyone should read it.
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